After Darkness
by HimekoChanSan
Summary: Khan returns with a vengeance and is after Kirk's life and wants to make his crew suffer. With the help of a new recruit Kirk just might be able to outwit the super solider one more time, but this new crew member is hiding a dark side of her own...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I've been meaning to write a Star Trek reboot fic ever since 2009! Gotta love a young hot cast! Think it's fair to say I fancy all of them. I'm serious. _ALL_ of them...**

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_**Chapter One**_

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It was a cold day in San Francisco and every punch Khan drove into Kirk's face stung hot with merciless rage.

He had been called from headquarters to this square downtown just before he was due to take a shuttle up to the Enterprise, where his crew were waiting for him. Turns out it had been a rather obvious and embarrassing trap. It seemed this genetically superior intellect had abandoned any notion of subtlety since escaping his cryotube and was fuelled by a more violent quest for revenge this time.

Khan and Kirk rolled around on the concrete slabs of Union Square, Khan bludgeoning Kirk's face with his fists. Kirk couldn't hope to match blows with the super solider, he was bloody and beaten. In this game of physical strength he had lost before he had even started.

_If only I had a phaser..._Kirk cursed. _Or a Vulcan..._

Khan fisted his hand in the collar of Kirk's gold shirt, which was now turning brassy with all the blood that was streaking down it from Kirk's lips, nose and the nasty split in his forehead, and lifted his head up off the pavement.

"N-No...!" Kirk spat weakly.

Khan drew back his other fist to deliver the final skull crushing blow that would end his adversary, his mouth stretching into a smile.

"Yes." Khan breathed.

What happened next happened in heartbeats.

Kirk squeezed his eyes shut against the impending fist. The electric shriek of a phaser blast cut through the square, and the weight of Khan's body suddenly left him.

When Kirk opened his eyes he found Khan sprawled out a few feet away and a young woman standing over him with a phaser in her hand.

She was quite tiny, but had a massive mane of curly brown hair that hung down her back like an Indian headdress. Despite the Starfleet issued phaser she was dressed in civilian clothes, wearing an oversized brown leather jacket and dark high waisted jeans. She couldn't have been more than twenty five.

Khan got to his feet with a sneer, staggering a little and clutching the phaser burn on his chest. The young woman armed the phaser and grinned, daring him to try and attack again. Khan had managed to replicate Scotty's remote beaming device and as he back away his body started to disintegrate in a swirl of white whizzing lights.

_He must have a ship nearby..._The young woman deduced, lowering the phaser.

"Who are you?" Kirk slurred, gazing up through swollen eyes at her.

She gripped his arm and hoisted him up, "Details later. Khan is getting away. Captain, where is your-"

A powerful gust of wind suddenly stormed through the square, whipping up her tangle of curls as the huge and looming silver saucer section of the Enterprise came into view overhead.

"Ah, there she is!" Her lips spread into an open mouthed grin as she held her hair at bay from her face.

It was an awe inspiring sight; she truly was the most beautiful ship in the fleet. The USS Enterprise.

Hooking Kirk's arm around her shoulders the young woman pulled a Starfleet communicator from her jackets zipless pocket and made contact with the awesome starship.

"Enterprise, I have your Captain. He is in need of medical attention. I request you beam us both aboard."

"Please stand by for beam up!" Responded a young, excited voice whose accent was delightfully mangled by a Russian inflection.

The two on the ground slowly began to dematerialise, and when Kirk opened his eyes again he was greeted by the ever surly face of Bones ready to receive him from the beaming pad. He took Kirk from the young woman and sat him down, scanning him with his medical tricorder.

The rest of the crew present in the transporter room immediately trained their phasers on the stranger. She threw up her hands, palms open in a nervous gesture of surrender.

Kirk swatted away Bones's medical tricorder, panting. "Phasers away. She saved my life."

His crew did as they were ordered and she lowered her hands, smiling in relief. "Thank you, Captain."

"Who are you?" he asked again, holding a tissue to his nose to catch the blood.

"Doctor Reagan Sloan. I served as psychiatrist and behavioural expert on the Enterprise under Pike, sir. I am currently on leave waiting to be assigned to a new vessel."

Kirk stood, much to the protest of Bones, and walked over to her. "You worked under Pike?"

She nodded. "He was a good man. Almost like a Father to me."

Kirk scanned her face and they shared a moment of silent grief before he bowed his head.

Chekov's voice suddenly came through the con: "Keptin, we are being hailed vy an unknown wessel! You are needed on the bridge, sir!"

"Khan." said Reagan.

Kirk's blue eyes flashed with hunger and he took off to the bridge followed by Bones and Reagan.

"Keptin on the bridge!" Chekov chimed.

Spock, who had been acting Captain, surrendered the chair to Kirk and glanced inquisitively at Reagan.

"We're still being hailed." Uhura said from her station, her gaze also lingering on the new addition.

"Patch it through." Kirk ordered, taking his place in the Captain's chair.

Khan appeared on the view screen, wearing a dark and brooding expression.

"Another day, Kirk. I will have my vengeance on you and your family," his gaze shifted to Reagan who stood to the right of Kirk. "even your...newly adopted."

Reagan met Khan's eyes with a steely glare, squaring her shoulders and pushing out her chest.

Khan's image on the monitor glitched and flickered off, and from in front of them a stolen bird of prey rose up from behind the cover of a building and jetted off up into the stratosphere.

"Punch it, Sulu!" Kirk ordered, and the Enterprise moved to pursue. He looked to Reagan. "Sorry Doctor, but it looks like you're along for the ride."

"My skills could prove useful in interrogating Khan once we capture him." she replied.

Kirk flashed her a toothy grin. "That's what I like to hear! Go put on a blue shirt."

Reagan seemed to hesitate. She bit her lip. "If it's all the same to you, Captain, I'll pass on the uniform."

Kirk shrugged, "Suit yourself. Bones! I leave Doctor Sloan in your care, show her to the med bay."

"You're the one that needs to go to the damn med bay!"

Kirk rolled his eyes. "Just do it."

Bones cursed and turned to Reagan, "This way, and don't worry, we're good friends." He cast a venomous look over his shoulder at Kirk as he guided Reagan to the lift, and Kirk had to work hard to supress his boyish laughter.

* * *

Some time later, after Bones had shown Reagan the entirety of the med bay - which had taken all of ten minutes, Spock appeared to investigate the new addition. He didn't say anything, merely walked around with his hands behind his back, clasped at the wrists. And observed. It made Reagan a little edgy. Soon she was staring back.

Bones finally snapped. "Spock, you pointy eared bastard, stop being rude and introduce yourself."

"Apologies, Doctor. I was merely trying to accumulate some objective data before engaging Doctor Sloan in verbal discourse."

Reagan snorted and Bones just rolled his eyes.

"First Officer Spock," he stated, approaching her. "Pleased to meet you."

"I thought Vulcans didn't know pleasure." she smiled coyly.

Spock raised an eyebrow and inclined his head. "I was merely trying to emulate your Earth vernacular into an appropriate greeting. In truth I am moved in neither direction by your presence."

"That's his way of playing hard to get." Bones chimed in.

Reagan chuckled and went to offer him her hand, only to remember the significance of finger contact to his species. She let her hand drop.

"Reagan Sloan..." Spock mused. "I've read your work. I found your theories on Klingon behaviour most intriguing, Doctor."

Colour flooded her cheeks, but her eyes were playful. "Thank you, Mr Spock. You know I completed my doctorate thesis on Vulcan. I was a student of the Science Academy. Maybe I could probe your mind sometime."

Spock raised an interested, and naive, eyebrow.

"Doctor, perhaps -"

Uhura's voice suddenly came through on the con: "Spock you are needed on the bridge."

"Excuse me," he said.

As the med bay doors slid shut Bones and Reagan exchanged amused glances.

"You sure know your way around that green blooded hob-goblin's vernacular." he said.

"I had a Vulcan boyfriend for three years." she said.

Bones smirked. "I bet that was an emotional roller coaster."

Reagan laughed as the starship Enterprise blazed through space, chasing Khan's stardust.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this next instalment of After Darkness!**

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_**Chapter Two**_

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The pursuit of Khan's stolen vessel had led the Enterprise into deep space, to a quiet uninhabited sector light years from any Starfleet outpost. It was there in the empty blackness he had simply vanished leaving the Enterprise to defend rather than pursue. Scotty reckoned Khan had a powerful cloaking device which hid him from the Enterprise's radar systems. No doubt another piece of_ stolen _technology acquired from his time on Chronos.

"And we thought he was wily before," Bones commented dryly. "How are we supposed to find him if he's damn near invisible?"

"He'll show himself eventually." Reagan said, taking a shot of blue Romulan ale. "Trust me. He's a textbook narcissist. He won't be able to resist."

The Medbay was dimly lit with only a few overhead lamps on as the resident Doctor and Psychiatrist sat - Bones in his chair and Reagan stretched out on one of the beds - boozing and swapping stories.

It had just gone midnight.

"What I don't understand," Bones continued, taking a generous swig. "is why he's after Kirk to begin with. He's got no crew, no men, and just threw away all chances of freedom once he escaped his cryotube, surely he knows just how damn stupid this whole thing is?"

"You really don't understand revenge, do you, Doctor?"

"Well, you're the Psychiatrist, Miss Sloan. Why don't you enlighten me?" He grinned cheekily.

Reagan forced out a laugh and rolled her shoulders, looking away. "Oh, Doctor, I don't want to talk shop, I want to get drunk!"

Bones eyed her over the rim of his blue stained glass. When it was clear she was neither going to elaborate or meet his eyes he said, "You know, I've never met a Psychiatrist who didn't need a shrink of their own."

Reagan finally looked at him and smirked darkly. "A Doctor can sew his own wounds, a Psychiatrist cannot."

"I'll drink to that." Bones raised his glass.

"Aye,"Reagan did the same and clinked them together. "to scars. Of both the flesh and the mind."

The two necked their shots and brought their glasses down with a triumphant_ Thunk!_ on the table.

Just then a ship wide alarm began to sound.

Bones stumbled to the console and checked the alert code, before turning back to Reagan. "It's him." he said. "It's Khan."

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On the bridge of the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov stood in a row with their hands up, Khan's phaser pointed at them. They had been made to stand before the viewing screen window and Khan moved back to settle himself in the Captain's chair. Kirk bristled wildly. Khan smirked, his blue eyes were luminous with victory.

"Oh, I have longed for this moment, Captain." Khan purred, keeping his phaser trained on the unarmed crew.

"Let my crew go, Khan." Kirk growled. "It's me you want."

"No, your crew aren't innocent of crimes. They are deserving of my wrath all on their own." Khan smiled easily and sat back in the chair. "Though there seems to be one missing. What happened to your knight in leather armour, Captain? Did she abandon ship?"

Everyone's gaze suddenly lifted to behind Khan, where Reagan now stood.

"Who could abandon the Enterprise?" she smirked, pressing the nose of her phaser into the back of Khan's head. "She's such a magnificent lady."

Khan grimaced, casting a hateful look over his shoulder at her. "Speak of the Devil."

"You can call me Reagan." She beamed cheerily, before losing all humour. "Drop your phaser."

"To sneak up on your enemy is very underhanded."

"Says the man whose ship has been cloaked for 72 hours. Now, I won't tell you again...Drop. Your. Phaser."

Khan begun to lower his hand and the pressure against his head relaxed slightly. He seized the opportunity, dipping out of the path of the phaser and swinging around in one panther like motion to strike Reagan in the head with the butt of his phaser.

She was thrown down with the force of the blow, a spattering of blood hitting the floor as she did.

Kirk bounded across the bridge to her aid but was repelled by a sudden colourful phaser blast that knocked Khan backwards into his chest. Kirk's arms came up instinctively and he found himself clutching the dead weight of the 90s super human under the armpits as he collapsed, completely unconscious, into his arms.

Reagan got to her feet with a slight quake. Blood trickled down the side of her face from the gash in her brow. Her lip curled back into a sneer. "Nice try."

Kirk blinked several times in rapid succession, staring straight ahead at her in confusion and awe.

Her lips split into a wide smile when she noticed everyone staring at her. "He's the one I phasered, why do you lot look so stunned!"

Spock came to her side. "Doctor, are you alright? You are bleeding."

She scrubbed at the wound on her head with the back of her hand. "Bit of a headache but I'll live. We need to have him contained immediately, that shot won't keep him down for long."

Spock nodded and moved to take Khan from Kirk with the help of Chekov and Sulu.

Kirk picked up Khan's phaser and Uhura came to his ear, whispering and laying a relieved hand on his shoulder.

Bones came charging onto the bridge with his medkit in hand. "Is everybody okay!?"

Kirk pushed out a laugh. "Yeah, Bones. Yeah, we're fine. Reagan could use your attention, though."

She waved at him sheepishly, half her face now awash with deep blood. It was streaking down her white t-shirt, too in thin red fingers.

"Goddammit, woman. What the hell were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?"

He opened his kit and began pulling out antiseptic and gauze.

She smiled, sad but satisfied.

"This is what revenge looks like, Doc."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey guys, I try to get this done monthly and aimed to have it out on the 22nd but personal circumstances intervened. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a Merry Christmas!**_

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**_Chapter Three_**

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Reagan's hands were thrust into the deep pockets of her leather jacket as she strode up to Khan in his holding cell.

"Let me guess: you're here to psychoanalyse me?" Khan greeted, turning to face her with an obvious stiffness.

Her brown eyes drifted coyly around his cell, looking at everything but him.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. I've come to gloat. You see, I know how ashamed you must be. I did beat you, after all. _Twice._" She met his eyes. "You're furious. It's as clear as if you had pounded your fists against the glass, like an ape."

She flashed him a haughty grin.

On the Bridge, Kirk was listening to their conversation through a headset linked in at Uhura's station. His thick dark brows were furrowed in consternation; he wasn't quite sure of Doctor Sloan's aggressive approach. He reminded himself, though, of his first encounter with Khan and forgave her somewhat.

"Tell me, Khan, what did you hope to gain by coming aboard the Enterprise?"

"I no longer have my crew. I have no ship, and I am a wanted criminal. So the better question, Doctor, is what did I have to lose?"

"Your life, for one thing."

"I can't lose that which I place no value on. I sense you might understand that, given your reckless actions and why you've refused to don the gaudy primary colours of Starfleet." He chuckled softly. "You seem to align yourself with no one. So, is there a reason, you, someone I have never laid eyes on before, wish to sabotage my every attempt to kill Captain Kirk?"

She shrugged and it pushed her breasts together. Khan made out the imprint of dog tags beneath her white t-shirt.

"A solider..." he realised, licking his lips. "Oh dear girl, we have so much in common." His stance shifted and he watched her, in the same way that she watched him. "Revenge makes monsters of people, Doctor."

"You can call it revenge. I call it justice."

"You and Captain Kirk are nothing more than grieving children." He returned. "Condemning me will not bring back Admiral Pike."

Reagan's lip curled up in a snarl. She bared her canines to him.

"Now now, you'll break the glass if you pound on it that hard."

On the Bridge, Kirk held his breath.

Reagan dropped her gaze and let out a breath. Taking a moment to quash her rage, she raised her head again with an insidious smile.

"You should be thankful that we have this barrier between us, Khan." She whispered it, low, so that the Captain could not hear.

Before Khan could return her comment Reagan had turned to go, the slap of her trainer soles resounding like a distant fight.

Kirk put down the headset and sat back down in his chair. He ran his thumb across his stubble, grazing the nail over his lips, blue eyes staring out into the star spangled vacuum of space.

The doors of the turbo lift slid open with a soft hiss and Reagan stepped out onto the Bridge. She came to stand by Kirk's side, arms behind her and hands clasped at the wrists, mirroring a certain Vulcan's body language.

They didn't look at each other.

Kirk stared ahead. "Any progress?"

"I'll break him."

"There isn't any truth to what he said is there...about why you won't wear the uniform?"

"The fact that I am prepared to give my life for Starfleet does not lesson the value I place upon it."

His gazed climbed up her body, trying to read her posture and expression and finding nothing but trained military reserve. A mask. She had a soldier's discipline and a psychologist's intelligence, he couldn't puzzle her out.

"Alright, Doctor." he acquiesced. "You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

She swiftly exited the Bridge and as soon as the turbo lift doors slid closed Kirk beckoned over his First Officer.

"Spock, I have an assignment for you; I want you to engage Doctor Sloan. Try to appeal to her logical side and coax her to open up a little."

"To what purpose, Captain?"

"I want to know her character. She has access to one of the most dangerous men in the world, and I want to be sure I can trust her. And I trust you, and your judgement, Spock, so I want you to make the call."

"Understood." Spock said, returning to his station.

Uhura came up behind Kirk with her arms folded. "You like her don't you?"

"Yes," he admitted, curtly. "Yes, I do."

"What a surprise." Uhura scoffed. "You haven't changed since the Academy."

Kirk spun around in his chair with a wide grin. "Hey! She saved my life!"

"Are you planning on returning the favour?

Sulu and Chekov exchanged amused glances as Kirk laughed and coyly winked.

* * *

As the ships clock struck seven the corridor lights dimmed to an evening appropriate shade of muted white. Spock made his way to Reagan's quarters with mechanical smoothness, his mind pondering only logical byplays. This schema was promptly shaken when he pressed the com link into her room.

"Who is it?" Her voice sizzled sweetly through the link.

"First Officer, Spock. Doctor, I was wondering if you might have a moment to converse?"

There was a pregnant pause in which all Spock could hear through the com link was the hazy sound of shower spray.

"Mr Spock! What a surprise!" Reagan said, finally. "Come on in, it's open."

The door slid open to reveal a bare room; since Reagan had nothing but the clothes on her back there were none of the usual commodities you would find in the other officers quarters, such as family photos or space dock momentos. Even Spock's quarters were decorated with various keepsakes from Vulcan, things that had now become antiquities.

Spock waited, standing to attention as he heard the shower turn off and wet footsteps make there way towards him from the en suite. Reagan emerged in a tiny satin nightgown lent to her by Carol Marcus. Her hair fell in dark shiny ringlets around her face, the water weight pulling them down to just beneath her breasts. Since boarding the Enterprise Reagan had very little flesh on display, her outfit of high waisted jeans, a white t shirt and heavy leather jacket left only her hands, neck and face visible. The nightgown, by contrast, left little to the imagination. It fell to mid thigh and revealed to Spock the myriad of vibrant tattoos that decorated her legs.

His eyes must have betrayed his intrigue because Reagan gave a small smile and pushed up her sleeves revealing more. "On Earth...sailors would get tattoos to show where they had been."

She gestured to one just below the ball of her shoulder, a golden triangle in two circles.

"This one I got on Vulcan, when I graduated."

"I admit the merit of tattoos escapes me." Spock said after a pause.

"Of course. They would be too sentimental for you, right, Mr Spock? Too crass and vulgar and devoid of logic."

She let her sleeves drop and he approached her tentatively.

"I may not understand sentimentality, Doctor, but that does not mean that I cannot appreciate it. Your tattoos are beautiful. This one here is particularly stimulating."

The lingering gaze of those dark eyes on the inked flesh were, to her, wildly intimate. She was aware that despite how scantily glad she was her entire body was blushing.

"Thank you."

She eyed him shyly, and the faintest hint of a smile graced his lips.


End file.
